How to Create Luxurious Garden Compost!

Compost is organic matter in a semi decayed state also known as humus. It is used as a growing medium for vegetables and flowers. It can be used standalone for growing things in, or added to soil to condition it.

Most organic waste in the home can be used as a basis for creating compost. Therefore it is a great way to recycle this material. Compost has several functions:

• It contains nutrients from the decay process

• It has an aerated fibrous texture and so allows permeation of the oxygen necessary for roots to flourish. Plant roots can spread more easily in this medium than in plain soil without compost added.

• The organic matter helps to retain moisture when it is dug into soil (also commonly referred to as dirt)

Avoid animal feces of any kind which can contain pathogens, especially cat and dog litter. Other than that, you can place all sorts of material into compost:

• Grass clippings
• Leaves
• Weeds. Try to avoid weeds which have set seed for obvious reasons!
• Soft prunings from shrubs and hedges.
• Moss and other debris from gutters
• Sawdust
• Kitchen vegetable waste
• Dead plants and root balls from flower pots
• Sand
• Excess soil from alterations to flower beds or construction work. Avoid sub soil.

If you have a small garden or yard, you could consider buying a compost bin. This keeps everything neat and tidy. Alternatively you could make an enclosure from pallets. If you can get ones with sheets of timber on them, this will prevent the compost material from falling through. You could also use pallets with narrow gaps between the boards. The back wall of the heap is formed from one or two pallets, depending on how wide you want to make the enclosure. Use a scrap length of timber, 4 x 2 or whatever is available, top and bottom, to hold the pallets together. Use a pallet at each end to form the two sides.

I don't actually bother using any containment for my compost heap. I simply pile everything up on the ground. I have two heaps forming at any one time. This process is probably slower than using a bin, as the heat isn't contained and decomposition proceeds at a slower pace, however it is a matter of choice which method you go for. In the Spring I start a new heap. I place coarse material such as soft prunings on the ground to act as a base and improve drainage. During the Summer I just keep piling everything up and create a rectangular pile about 10 feet long. If the weather is dry, I water the pile to keep the fungi and bacteria happy. Every so often I spread a thin layer of soil on the pile which adds bacteria and worms to the mix. When the Fall arrives, I gather up all the leaves from the garden and spread them on the pile. And so this completes the first pile. So it's not rocket science. You can add worms or accelerators to improve the decomposition rate, but these are not really necessary unless you are in a hurry. In Spring of the next year I begin a new pile and complete it in the Fall. By then, the first years pile is a year old and ready for use. You can continue this process forming new piles each year and using the previous years compost.

You can use it straight off as a growing medium in planters, pots and window boxes for flowers. Annuals love it and grow rapidly as the roots penetrate easily through the compost.

When creating new flower beds, dig plenty of compost into the soil to increase the humus content.

If you are planting perennials, trees or shrubs, dig a hole about twice the width of the root ball. Mix soil and compost in equal proportions and spread the mix under and around the plant. Firm down well with your hands or boot.